The newsroom includes access to CHA News, which provides timely information to members every Thursday and is at the core of CHA benefits. In addition, it is also home to resources such as toolkits and talking points designed to help member hospitals and health systems communicate with internal and external audiences on a range of current health care-related issues. Links to CHA media statements and press releases can also be found here.
Newsroom
Registration Open for Chief of Staff Boot Camp 2025
What’s happening: The Institute for Medical Leadership is hosting its Chief of Staff Boot Camp 2025 — geared toward medical staff leaders, chief medical offers, hospital executives, and medical staff managers — Feb. 28 to March 2 in Los Angeles. Tuition begins at $2,195, and registration is open.
What else to know: The Chief of Staff Boot Camp aims to provide new chiefs of staff the information they need to succeed in their complex role by sharing the knowledge and tools necessary to work collaboratively with peers, hospital administration, and staff members.
2025 HR Conference Offers Continuing Education Credits
What’s happening: In partnership with the Hospital Association of Southern California, CHA will host the two-day 2025 HR Conference in Long Beach, taking place Feb. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. and Feb. 20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What else to know: The conference will cover topics relevant to human resource (HR) professionals, and professional continuing education (CE) credits are available to registrants who complete certain requirements. Registration is open for CHA members.
HCAI Webinar to Cover Seismic Grant Program for Small and Rural Hospitals
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) Office of Facility Loan Insurance is conducting a webinar on Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon (PT) to discuss a seismic grant program for small, rural, and critical access hospitals.
What else to know: The webinar will cover eligibility criteria, additions to the program due to Assembly Bill 869 (2024), and the application process. Registration is open.
CMS Announces Quality Reporting Exceptions for Hospitals Impacted by Los Angeles Fires
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is granting exceptions for certain measures in Medicare quality reporting and value-based programs to hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and post-acute providers in designated areas affected by the California Wildfires and Straight-line Winds public health emergency in Los Angeles.
What else to know: If providers voluntarily report data where exceptions are allowed, CMS notes that the data will be used for public reporting and applying scoring methodologies under value-based programs.
CDPH Issues All Facilities Letter on Public Notice for Inpatient Psychiatric, Perinatal Services Closures
What’s happening: The California Department of Public Health’s All Facilities Letter 25-05, issued on Feb. 3, notifies general acute care and acute psychiatric hospitals of the enactment of Senate Bill (SB) 1300 (Chapter 894, Statutes of 2024).
What else to know: Per SB 1300, a hospital that is closing an inpatient psychiatric unit or perinatal unit is, as of Jan. 1, required to provide public notice of the proposed elimination at least 120 days prior to the service line’s elimination (increased from 90 days).
California Air Resources Board Seeks Feedback on Climate Disclosure Regulations
What’s happening: The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is working to implement Senate Bill (SB) 253 (2023) and SB 261 (2023), also known as the climate disclosure bills, and seeks feedback by March 21 on several technical questions related to implementation for regulatory development.
What else to know: These climate disclosure bills aim to improve transparency via new reporting requirements for certain businesses in California. The requirements are related to the businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks.
OHCA Board Approves Creation of Hospital Sector, Paves Way for Lower Spending Targets in 2026
What’s happening: At the Jan. 28 Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board meeting, the board voted 6-0 to create a statewide hospital sector and focused on options for imposing stricter spending targets on a limited set of “high-cost” hospitals.
What else to know: In February, OHCA staff will propose methodologies for determining which hospitals are high cost and what the spending target values will be. To set a lower sector spending target for at least some hospitals in 2026, OHCA’s board must take formal action by June 1, 2025.
Health Facilities Must Work With College Nursing Programs on Clinical Placements
What’s happening: Effective Jan. 1, Assembly Bill (AB) 1577 (2024) added Section 12775 to the Health and Safety Code, requiring health facilities and clinics to meet with a community college or California State University that has an approved school of nursing upon the college’s request and work in good faith to meet the nursing program’s clinical placement needs.
What else to know: Beginning in 2026, if a health facility or clinic lacks the capability or capacity to meet the college’s needs, the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) will require written justification within 30 days of the meeting, subject to a $1,000 fine for failure to provide the justification.
2025 Symposium to Tackle Critical Challenges Facing Rural Health Care
What’s happening: CHA’s 40th Rural Health Care Symposium, taking place March 10-11 in Sacramento, will provide opportunities to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas, and tackle the critical challenges facing rural health care.
What else to know: Registration is open to CHA member hospitals.